Bonded Through Ink
by Megan Lynch-Peabody
Summary: Judy had a bad first day at the Police Academy, but at least her soul mate is here to keep her company. Originally posted on AO3.


**Hello everyone. I know it's been a long time since I published on here, but I've kind of moved on from this site to Archive of Our Own. I've already published three stories there so you can check them out if you'd like, but I'm going to post them all on here so I can get more variety in readers.**

 **My AO3 name is megan_peabody31.**

Judy was sprawled across her rack, carefully tossing and turning trying her best to find a comfortable position and not wake her bunkmate. Her first day was at the forefront of her mind no matter how hard she tried to suppress it. She let out a small sigh, hoping it wasn't too loud, and lifted herself to the edge of her bed. Judy buried her face in her hands trying to quell her frustration, but as she pulled her face back out, she noticed the black letters slowly fading onto her wrist. She smiled.

 _You there?_

It was a drawn-out day, but at least her soulmate was there to talk with her. Judy pulled her carrot pen from underneath her pillow and wrote beneath the message.

 _ **Yeah, I'm here.**_

She waited for them to read the message, antsy for a response. More ink began to appear on her skin.

 _How was your first day?_

She involuntarily groaned, but quickly covered her mouth and glanced down at the woman sleeping below her; she felt relieved until she peered back at her wrist. She knew they were going to ask, but that didn't make it easier.

'Well, my instructor is a total hard ass, I was nearly turned into a pawsicle, almost buried alive, and, overall, humiliated in front of the entire Academy. Yeah, I had a great first day!'

She collected her thoughts together until she wrote a single word on her arm.

 _ **Hell.**_

It seemed an eternity for them to respond to her, of course, they had to be laughing their ass off.

 _That bad, huh?_

 _ **If you consider being borderline hypothermic and degraded, then yes, it was bad.**_

 _Damn._

 _ **On top of that, I have another person giving me a hard time about my dream of being a cop.**_

Judy grabbed a wash cloth she kept in her bag and cleaned off her arm; her soulmate proceeding to do the same after she was close to done.

 _Aw, hey don't let them get to you. Where's the person I know and love?_

 _ **They were frozen to death.**_

 _Haha, you're funny. But seriously, you're not having doubts now, are you?_

Judy hesitated when she read the message, at a loss in her own head. Today was only the first day, and she already felt like quitting. According to the instructor, she would've been dead if any of those things happened to her while on duty as a cop. She tried to not let it get to her, but there has always been that little voice whispering in the back of her head.

'Are you crazy? A small town farm girl like you could never make it as a cop. What are you even doing here? Go home before something awful happens.'

It was bad enough that her parents tried to talk her out of her dream, but now that she's actually here at the police academy and that she failed the first day…

Judy glanced at her wrist.

 _Hello? You there?_

She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realize that her soulmate had been doodling all over her wrist to get her attention. There were little hearts, dollar signs, and a-

 _ **Really?**_

She drew an arrow pointing to the crude drawing of a dick below her wrist

 _Had to get your attention somehow, sweetheart._

 _ **Clean it off. Now.**_

 _Okay, okay!_

She smirked as she watched the drawing disappear from her wrist.

'They're so childish.' She thought, shaking her head, 'but I love them.'

 _So, is everything really alright?_

 _ **I know it's only the first day, but I already feel like giving up.**_

 _Don't say that._

Judy grabbed the cloth again to clean her crowded arm, and her soulmate did the same on their end and continued writing.

 _You've come this far, and I'm proud of you for it. I'm no expert on sappy words, but for now I'll say that tomorrow will be better. I promise._

Judy smiled as tears welled up in her eyes; she let out a light laughter, the weight on her chest lessened.

 _ **Thank you.**_

 _You're crying aren't you?_

 _ **Shut up.**_

She wrote as a tear dropped onto her wrist, slightly smearing the 'thank you'

 _Haha. Just know that I believe in you. I always will._

 _ **I love you.**_

 _I love you too… Now about your name._

 _ **No.**_

 _Come on, please?_

 _ **No. Where's the fun in that?**_ _ **I thought we agreed to keep our names a surprise.**_

 _But how am I supposed to know if it's really you whenever we meet? Or you with me?_

 _ **We'll know.**_

 _How do you know?_

 _ **I just feel it.**_

 _Fine._

 _ **We'll meet someday. I promise.**_

 _I hope so. And when we do, I'll sweep you off your feet, kiss you, and carry you off into the sunset._

 _ **Just like in the movies?**_

 _You bet._

Judy chuckled quietly to herself. Regardless of how ridiculous the movies are, she really looked forward to it.

 _ **Okay then.**_

 _I'm gonna go hit the sack. You get some sleep. Goodnight and sweet dreams!_

 _ **Goodnight.**_

 _Tomorrow will be better, love, I promise._

 _ **I hope so.**_

 _It will be._

Judy rereads the messages as fast as they were being wiped away, until only her words remained on her wrist. She cleaned them off; the knot in her stomach dissipated and no longer heard the ridiculing voices taunting her. Her soulmate's words replaying through her head. Tomorrow will be better. Judy's smile grew bigger as she crawled underneath the covers.

'I'll show 'em all what a country girl can do, I'll prove I can be a cop, and that's a promise.'

She slowly drifted into sleep.

Elsewhere…

In the middle of the frigid night, Nick Wilde laid in the back of Finnick's van, staring at his ink-stained arm before letting it fall to his chest. He reached up and rubbed his dreary eyes with clenched fists before glancing over at Finnick who was resting with his back against the side of the vehicle. He was slumped and snoring like a freight train.

'Heh, a freight train wouldn't stand a chance.' Nick allowed a light smirk. He knew that Finnick was going to be complaining about his neck aching tomorrow. He glanced back at his wrist.

Nick wanted the best for his soulmate. They'd been talking via arm messages since he was twenty-seven and they were eighteen. They told him about their dream of being a cop and Nick couldn't be any prouder of their determination in this cruel world. They were certainly doing a lot better than he was, and he could only hope that he could get his life together before meeting them. But for now, he was doing everything he could.

He sighed, placing his hands over his face. 'Tomorrow will be a better day? Yeah right,' He drags his hands through this tousled, auburn hair before closing his eyes, 'Maybe it will be.' Nick shakes his head laughing silently, 'I guess they're rubbing off on me.'


End file.
